Cigarette package



Jan. 21, 1958 1 co 2,820,546

CIGARETTE PACKAGE Filed March 1, 1957 22 I I I ,1 i} 5/36 Q "27; f/fw It; :E 5 N 22 H I 1:; 38 1:

AH] 3L l L 2628 5+ Lourgs GR! ECO IN VEN TOR.

ms ATTORNEY United States Patent CIGARETTE PACKAGE Louis Grieco, Rome, N. Y.

Application March 1, 1957, Serial No. 643,476

1 Claim. (Cl. 20648) This invention relates to cigarette packages and more particularly to packages for the conventional packs of cigarettes which incorporate therein a supply of matches in a single unitary package substantially the same size and configuration as conventional cigarette packages.

As is well known the conventional cigarette package is generally rectangular in shape and contains twenty cigarettes wrapped in some sort of heavy foil paper and an outer transparent envelope. This package has served satisfactorily to keep the cigarettes fresh for a reasonable period of time and to provide a convenient and easily opened container therefor. However they have required the smoker to carry additionally one of the numerous means for lighting cigarettes including books of matches, mechanical lighters, including a striking means and inflammable fluid, and various other types. All of these require the cigarette smoker to carry at least two items with him wherever he goes. According to the present invention I have devised a package for cigarettes that integrally carries therein a supply of matches sufiicient for a pack of cigarettes all without substantially changing the size or configuration of the conventional cigarette package.

Accordingly it is an object of my new cigarette package invention to eliminate the necessity of carrying boxes of matches or lighters by the cigarette smoker. It is another object of my new cigarette package invention to combine the presently avaflable pack of twenty cigarettes with an equal supply of matches therefor. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a cigarette package having therein cigarettes and a match for each cigarette contained therein, all in a package that is substantially the same size, shape and configuration as existing conventional cigarette packages. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved cigarette package containing therein a supply of matches for the cigarettes therein which is safer and more convenient to use than any corresponding combination of cigarettes and lighting means heretofore known. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved cigarette package having an integral supply of matches for the cigarettes therein which are automatically lighted upon removal therefrom. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a cigarette package with a plurality of safety matches wherein if one match should be ignited the others will not be accidentally ignited such as occasionally occurs with conventional book matches. These and other and further objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out as this specification proceeds.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cigarette package according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line Il-II of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged partially broken away view of the match carrier and pack front of Figures 1 and 2.

Referring now to Figure 1, the cigarette package 10 comprises generally an inner foil wrapper 12 which completely encloses a quantity, usually twenty, of cigarettes 14; an outer paper tube or sleeve 16 about the major portion of the foil wrapper which usually carries thereon the brand name and descriptive matter and the like; and an outer transparent wrapper 18 that completely encloses the entire package. A conventional ripcord may also be provided to aid in the opening of the transparent closure.

Positioned between the foil wrapper 12 and the front panel of tube 16 is a carrier or card 22 of twenty safety matches 24. Suitable apertures or slots 26 are cut in the paper sleeve 16 to allow the ends 28 of the matches 24 to extend therethrough so that they may be readily grasped by the fingers of the human hand.

Referring now to the match carrier 22, Figure 3, it comprises generally a pair of outer cover sheets 30 which have positioned therebetween twenty matches 24, ten each extending laterally beyond the edges 32 and 34 thereof as may be clearly seen therein. Glued to the bottom outer cover adjacent the edges 32 and 34 thereof are a pair of match striking strips 36 which carry thereon an abrasive to ignite the match head as it is pulled thereacross. Alternatively a match striking solution is applied directly to the cover sheet. The matches of each group of ten are spaced along each side of the bottom strip and held in place by holding strips 38. Additionally it will be seen that the matches are alternately spaced on each side. The spacing for the so-called king-sized cigarette package is approximately three-sixteenths of an inch apart for ten matches on each side or a total of twenty. As may be further seen in Figure 3 the heads 40 of row 42 are individually wrapped within a covering material strip 43 which has sufiicient resistance to fire so that if a match is accidentally ignited it will not ignite the next adjacent match. This material also may be of an adhesive nature so that it will hold the match heads in proper position but will not prevent their withdrawal.

The other row 44 of matches is interlaced within the first row 42 with the heads 46 thereof being placed on top of the covering material 43 and somewhat beyond the heads 40 of row 42. The heads 46 may then be covered by a strip 50 to securely hold them in the desired relative posi tions.

It should be understood that the strips 38, 43, and 50 while holding the matches in position do not have sufiicient adhesive power to prevent the matches being withdrawn when desired. The top outer cover 30 is then applied to the assembly as described and the match card is ready for insertion in the cigarette package 10.

The matches 24 are advantageously of the safety type having a waxed fiber stick or stem portion. Alternatively other materials may be used for the match stick portion.

In applicants cigarette pack the paper sleeve 16 has punched therein adjacent the edges twenty slots 26 which correspond to the twenty matches 24 of the match card 22 and coincide therewith to expose the ends 28 of the matches therethrough. The outer transparent wrapper is conventional and maintains a complete seal about the whole package. It will be seen that the match card 22 as described above is so thin that it makes substantially no change in the dimensions of the package and can be used with conventional cigarette packaging machinery.

In use the transparent wrapper is removed as is normal and the top of the pack opened to give access to the cigarettes. A cigarette may then be withdrawn in the usual manner and to light it a match may be withdrawn by merely gripping one of the exposed ends 28 with the fingers and pulling firmly toward the outer edge of the pack until the match is removed from the card. As the the cigarettes ,last.

match passes over the abrasive strip 36" it is ignited so that it is automatically ready for lighting the cigarette.

As may be readily seen there is one match for every cigarette and it is maintained in proper position and in close association with the pack of cigarettes so' that there is always a match availableforthe cigarettes as long as In addition, with the present construction the matches are much safer and will not accidentally ignite and even if they do onlyone will ignite sincethe adjacent, matches are covered sufliciently' to prevent their igniting the whole pack. Further, they matches being positioned in a carrier such as described will maintain their proper position within the pack and;

will extend through the appropriate slots for. easy and ready access.

of digitally interspaced slots cut along opposite long 1 edges of one wide side of saidsleeve; a match card having a length and width approximately equal to that of said wrapper wide side-and carrying thereon a plurality of digitally interspaced matches, said matches being arranged on said card in two equal rows with the heads in overlapping adjacent relationship and the ends'thereof extending outwardly beyond each long edge of said While I have shownand described above a specificforrn of -my presentinvention'it should be understood that various modifications which may become apparent to those skilled in the art can be readily made without de-. parting from the spirit ofthe invention. For instance, the strips 38 and 50 might be omitted for certain applications. Also instead of a bottom sheet 30 the assembly described might be applied directly to the foil wrapper I of the cigarette pacl; without departing from the principles of the present invention. This application is acontinuationain part of application Serial No. 496,523 filed March- I claim:

, A Cigarette p g ofthe conventional sort a ei p having an ral supply of matches for lighting card; a protective covering enclosing at least every other tmatch head to prevent accidental lighting thereof upon References Cited in the file of this patent V I U ITED STATESPATENTS 7 1,227,159 Lambersonjuc May 22 1917 Beebe Sept. 19, 1933 2,051,450 Lubke hue--. Aug. 18, 1936 

